Process of making keys and key blanks



2 sheets-sheet 1.

.(No Model.)

G. B. COWLES.

PROGESS OF MAKING KEYS AND KEY BLANKS.

N0. 371,824. Patented Oct. 18, 188V.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-FSheet 2. G. B. OOWLES.

PROCESS OF MAKING KEYS AND KEY BLANKS.

Patented Oct. 18

UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICEO GEORGE B. CowLEs, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO r. CORBIN, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF MAKING KEYS AND KEY-BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,824, dated October 18, 1887.

Application filed May '7, 1887. Serial No. 237,465.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, GEORGE B. CowLEs, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Keys and Key-Blanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved process for manufacturing lock-keys and to an improved form and construction of key-blank; and the invention consists in a certain process, which will hereinafter be described, whereby a key is made in a single piece from sheet metal by stamping a suitably-shaped blank sheet metal, and then transforming the blank by swaging and trimming dies into a key of the desired form. The invention also consists in a key-blank of certain form and construction, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the die for stamping the blank rep resented in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 represents the lower and divided swagingdie, and Fig. 4 the upper swagingdie, in which the blank is swaged up to the form shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 represents the two halves of another swaging-die,

in which the blank represented in Fig. 5 is placed and swaged up into the form shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 8 is the blank after it has been subjected to the trimming-dies, and Fig. 9

shows the complete key.

By my improved process of making keys I take ordinary sheet metal of commerce, preferably sheetsteel, and of proper thickness or gage, and stamp out by a suitable die, A, and punch the blanks A. As the ordinary construction of die is employed to illustrate them in the drawings, it is sufficient to state that it is of proper form and configuration to pro vduce the key-blanks A, which are formed (No model.)

(1, from which to produce the key-barrel, and also with a still wider portion, 6, from which to form the shoulder adjacent to the barrel. The blank A, of the form described, is then placed between the two halves B B of the swaging-dies, which latter rest in the same plane, and are adapted to be separated for the introduction of the key'blank and then brought together, the bit portion 0 entering the rectangular slot f, formed between the adjacent sides of th e dies,while the barrel portion 01 is located on the semicircular groove 9 and the widest portion of the blank situated over the semicircular groove h and the tapering recess 6 in the dies B B. The two parts B B of the die are then forced together, and the blank is firmly held therein. The keyblank is then subjected to the action of the upper die, B", which latter is made to conform in shape and configuration to the lower twopart die, BB, and the blank is swaged edgewise into the form of blank 0 represented in Fig. 5. It will be observed that this operation has transformed the wide portion at of the blank into the barrel-shoulder K and the tapering strengthening-ribs Z Z, extending from the shoulder to the sides of the shank b. In the edgewise swaging up of the blanks C a. fin is formed on the opposite sides of the shoulder and the barrel, the blank is subjected to trimming-dies, and these fins are removed, because they would in the next swaging operation, should they be allowed to remain, be folded over and form cold sheet-folds, which would impair the appearance and finish. The blank thus produced is subjected to the action of the swaging-dies D D, (illustrated in Fig. 6,)which produces the blanks E,in which the barrel and shoulder portions are made perfectly cylindrical, and the tapering ribs and bit are perfectly smooth and uniform in shape and finish, while the shank and bow portions are flattened out and reduced in thickness, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The blanks E are then operated upon by trimming-dies, which remove the surplus metal and produce the complete key-blank F. (Shown in Fig. 8.) The bits are then sawed into desired shapes and the blanks subjected The keys of the type which I have shown,

IOO

and described have heretofore been made of two parts, the shank and bow portions being made of sheet metal and the barrel and bit either of sheet metal or cast metal and secured to the shank either by being cast thereon or riveted or soldered thereto. Such construction of key has been found objectionable, owing to the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, to insure a strong and durable union of the two parts of the key. I obviate the objectionable features specified by making the entire key from a single piece of sheet metal, which results in a much superior article both in construction and finish; and, further, the eX- pense of manufacturing keys by my improved process is much less than by the old method referred to.

While I have shown and described one form of key and blank and swaging-dies, I. in nowise restrict myself to suchparticular forms, as they may be widely varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. For instance, the key-blank G may be stamped out from sheet metal in the form shown in Fig. 10, in which case the shank l and barrel portions m are made continuous and of sufficient width to be swaged up into cylindrical form, as shown in Fig. 11, and afterward finished up and the key illustrated in Fig. 12 formed thereon; or the key blank represented in Fig. 13 may be stamped out of sheet metal and the shank and barrel portions thereof then swaged up into cylindrical form, as shown in Fig. 14, and the completed key with a double bit, as shown in Fig. 15, produced therefrom; or the key-blank shown in Fig. 16 may be stamped out of sheet metal and this blank then be swaged up to the form illustrated in Fig. 17, and then finished up and drilled, as shown in Fig. 18.

From the foregoing it is evident that my in vention is not limited to any particular form or configuration of key-blank, as I am the first to stamp a key-blank from ordinarysheet metal and then swage the blank into the desired form of key.

sisting in cutting a blank from sheet metal and then swaging the blank edgewise in the operation of transforming the flattened barrel portion of the blank into a cylindrical key-barrel, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of making lock-keys, consisting in cutting the blank from sheet metal and then 'swaging the blank into the desired form and producing a cylindrical key-barrel from the flat barrel portion of the blank, substantially as set forth.

3. The method of making lock-keys, consisting in cutting a key-blank from sheet metal and then subjecting the blank to the action of swaging-dies and transforming the flattened barrel portion of the stamped-up blank into cylindrical form and swaging the shank portion of the key into any desired form, sub stantially as set forth.

4.. The method of making lock-keys, consisting in cutting a key-blank from ordinary flat sheet metal of commerce and then swaging the barrel and shoulder portions of the blank into cylindrical form, substantially as set forth. I

5. The method of making lock-keys, consisting in cutting the key-blank from ordinary fiat sheet metal of commerce and then swaging the barrel, shoulder, strengtheningribs, and shank into the desired form, substantially as set forth.

6. A key-blank of uniform thickness In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. OOWLES.

Witnesses:

G. ERNEST RooT, E. L. PRIOR. 

